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Ashurova S.E. english teacher Department of Foreign Languages of Karshi Engineering and Economic Institute
TESTING OF STUDENT'S KNOWLEDGE AT THE LESSONS
Annotation. The idea of testing and teaching is covered in this article, along with test creation, types of tests, help learning tests, and some important instructor reminders regarding before, during, and after test possibilities. You will be able to define formative evaluation, discuss the principles of test creation, describe the distinction between teaching and testing, and share your thoughts on how assessments might support learning after reading this article.
Key phrases: Testing; informal testing; formative evaluation; summative tests; face validity; "wash back"; narrative evaluation; productive and receptive tests; formal test; increase motivation.
Testing and Teaching First of all, it is essential to understand what the difference is between testing and teaching. In some ways, the two are so interconnected and interdependent that it is difficult to separate them. Teachers always measure or evaluate learners' skills and ideally learners also measure and evaluate themselves. Every time a student answers a question or tries a new word or structure, you can test the student. Written work is a test. The speaking test is a test. Reading and writing performance are tests.
The difference lies in what we will call formal and informal testing. Informal testing implies unplanned assessments that are made as a course moves along towards its goals. Most informal testing is what testing experts call formative evaluation: assessing students in the process of "forming" their competencies and skills with the goal of helping them to continue that growth process. Formal tests are exercises or experiences specifically designed to tap into an extensive storehouse of skills and knowledge, usually within a relatively short time limit. They are regular, planned sampling techniques constructed to give teacher and student an appraisal, as it were, of their achievement. These tests are often summative, as they take place at the end of a unit, module or course and therefore attempt to measure or summarize what the student has understood.
Pedagogically, it is important to distinguish between informal testing and formal testing. For optimal learning to take place, students must have the freedom to experiment and test things in class, to "test" their own hypotheses about language without feeling that their overall competence is I'm being "judged" by flawed terms. Likewise, for example, tournament tennis players must have the freedom to practice their skills - without any impact on their final ranking - before the tournament begins, your learners must also have many opportunities to "play" in classroom language without being formally graded.
The creation of tests is based on four main principles:
1. Principle of student preparation. It sounds simple, but often teachers don't help students prepare much for exams. Tests, by their nature, are anxiety-provoking experiences. Students don't know what to expect. And they may not know testing strategies that could help them. So your first task when creating a test is to be an ally in the preparation process.
2. Principles of face validity. Sometimes students don't know what is being tested when they take a test. Sometimes they feel, for various possible reasons, that the test is not testing what it is "supposed" to test. Face validity means that students, when they perceive the test, believe that it is valid.
3. Authentication principles. Make sure your test language is as natural and authentic as possible. Also, try to provide some context to the language so that the entries aren't just a series of unrelated language patterns.
4. The principle of "washback" "Washback" is an advantage that tests bring to learning. When a student takes a test, within a reasonably short period of time, the student can use the information about his or her skills provided by the test feedback. Therefore, formal tests should be learning tools through which students can receive a diagnosis of their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it is very important for intrinsic motivation that you promptly return written tests with your comments. One way to improve washback is to provide narrative assessments of test performance.
Types of Tests Productivity and Receptivity Tests: Tests can be useful in nature when students are asked to perform - speak, read aloud, write sentences or complete tasks. Tests may be receptive in nature, in which students are asked to read silently and answer multiple-choice questions, which require accurate recognition rather than giving an answer. Typically, the most widely used and well-prepared tests involve answering multiple-choice questions.
Vocabulary Test: Vocabulary Test has many types. Beginners' vocabulary skills are tested using questions that require a yes or no answer or by asking them to complete a simple task. In multiple choice questions, "a sentence with a missing word is presented; students choose one of four vocabulary items given to complete the sentence". A third type, multiple choice paraphrases, is a test in which a sentence with one word underlined is given. Students choose which of four words is the closest in meaning to the underlined item.
Grammar tests: Limited response questions which ask students to do certain tasks, multiple choice completion, simple completion of sentences, and close test are some of the test forms used in the grammar section. The grammatical structures offer an endless list of test items.
Pronunciation Test: Pronunciation Test focuses on useful communication, not perfect pronunciation. The pronunciation of each sound, expression or sentence is no longer emphasized. "One reason for this view is that, even after extensive training, very few adolescents or adults achieve perfect speaking ability in a foreign language. Speaking practice, multiple-choice auditory recognition,
reading aloud, simple dialogue and simple narration are very useful ways of testing pronunciation skills.
Reading tests range from reading aloud to reading comprehension. Students at the beginning level should be tested on their ability to "read" words, phrases, and sentences with correct pronunciation and tone. This requires mastering the connection between letters and sounds and other phonological rules such as vowel reduction, placing stress, and using appropriate syllabic pauses.
Writing Test Sentence combining, sentence expansion, sentence shortening, copying and dictation are commonly used in beginner-level writing tests. Writing instruction and paragraph editing are also common forms of testing.
Listening Test Visual cues are found to be very useful in testing listening skills. There are a number of listening exercises that can be used to test progress and proficiency in listening skills.
Some reminders for teachers: Pre-, during, and post-test options: Before the test - Give students all the information you can about the test. What exactly will the test cover? What topics will be most important? What types of items will be included? Encourage students to review material systematically. For example, skim manuals and other documents, underline key points, take example notes, etc.
During the test - Immediately after handing out the test, ask students to quickly look at the entire test to fully understand the different sections. Remind them to mentally determine how much time they will need for each section. Advise them to focus as carefully as possible. Tell students a few minutes before class ends so they can reread their answers, detect careless mistakes, and complete them on time.
After the Test - When you return the test, include comments about the specific things the student did well, what they did not do well, and, if applicable, your reasons for the comments there. Advise students to listen attentively in class to whatever you say about the test results.
In summary, after studying this article, you will be able to explain the difference between testing and teaching, define the concept of process estimation, explain the principles of test creation, define the concept of concept of "wash back, name the test types, express your opinion about how tests can facilitate learning, to name a few options before, during and after tests.
References:
1. Arends I. R. Learning to Teach - McGraw Hill, Inc., 1994. - 549 p
2. Douglas B. H. Teaching by principles: an interactive approach to language pedagogy - Longman, 2000. - 480 p.
3. Harmer J. How to Teach English [new ed.] - Pearson Longman, 2007. - 288 p.
